repeatedly writing letters to stephen douglas. and he already had a lot of military experience, flat in the black hawk war, an officer in that and he wasn't charged that taking the mormons and the state of illinois. a big military guy and political guy. he really wanted to fight mexico. he wrote letters to newspapers say, this is our greatest possible opportunity to gain california for the u.s. if war is declared, will be at the front of the movement committee was. now, he is a very, very a chat about the possibility of taking a lot of mexican territory. a big proponent of manifest destiny, but his views changed quickly and dramatically. when he first gets to mexico heat writes about potential silver mines that he has heard about and says, the silver mines here are supposed to be the richest and mexico, and we are only abandoned by the ignorance of the mexicans. it will only require a little skill to make these valuable. really excited, and he can see mexican american hands. the lottery's bins, the less he likes. in early december